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Many thanks to the staff of Hosteling International - San Diego for their help in making available the source materials for this Christmas Trip wiki. The opinions expressed in this wiki are not those of HI-SD. Neither the authors of these articles nor HI-SD are to be held legally responsible for any actions taken as a result of what is presented in this wiki. This wiki is purely meant as an entertainment and informational resource and is not a guarantee of conditions or situations that may arise on a Christmas Trip. What is the Christmas Trip? The HI-SD Christmas Trip is a 6-day cycling adventure around San Diego County, created by the American Youth Hostels - San Diego Council. The Christmas Trip has been held every year since 1956. The Trip begins every year on December 26th in San Diego, and after five overnights in San Diego and Riverside counties, ends on December 31st, back in San Diego. Total cycling mileage varies between 360 and 400 miles. Terrain varies from city to rural to mountain to desert. The Christmas Trip is Sag Wagon supported, and there are inside locations for sleeping bags, eating, entertainment and such every night. There is also space outside for those who prefer to camp outdoors, so if you want to do this, bring your tent! Breakfast and dinner during the trip are provided. Lunch is on your own. Cooking and cleanup is also done by the participants, and everyone is expected to take part. The Christmas Trip Wiki is not only a place to read about the history of the Christmas Trip, but also to gain some insight as to what to expect during your week in the San Diego and Riverside County backcountry. Quick links to Christmas Trip pages from past years 1950's, 1960s, 1970's, 1980's, 1990's, 2000's, 2010's__TOC__ Index of Christmas Trips Years in bold have individual trip information. Christmas Trips 1955 to 1959 - 1955 (The ride that became the "Christmas Trip"), 1956 (The first named "Christmas Trip"), 1957, 1958, 1959 Christmas Trips 1960 to 1969 - 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969 Christmas Trips 1970 to 1979 - 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979 Christmas Trips 1980 to 1989 - 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989 Christmas Trips 1990 to 1999 - 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999 Christmas Trips 2000 to 2009 - 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 Christmas Trips 2010 to present - 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 Typical Trip route and food menu Although the Christmas Trip stuck to (with one exception) the same overnight stops from 1994 through 2015 (22 years), don't think it has to be this way! But with so much experience with managing the Trip with these stops, here is a review of this particularly well-Tripped route, popular route alternatives and typical dinner menus, for your reading pleasure! Facebook group To keep up to date on the latest developments in the Christmas Trip Facebook community, go to the HI-USA Christmas Bike Trip group and join! Yahoo group A Yahoo email group was set up by the 2004 Christmas Trip participants. The messages mostly relate to other tours or events that the posters are going on, along with news about the upcoming Christmas Trip. The description of the group on the group homepage is as follows: This group was started for participants of the 48th Annual Hostelling International - American Youth Hostels Christmas Bicycle Ride from San Diego to Palm Desert and back! Any past or potential future Christmas Trippers are welcome here. Subscription requires owner approval because of previous spammer activity. Membership is open to any past, present or future Trippers. Please note that you need either to request a subscription to the group (see below), which a moderator then would review, or you will receive an invitation to the group if you have given your email address to the San Diego HI staff while filling out the application form for the Christmas Trip. If you receive an invitation, please just click the "Join this group!" button, no further action on your part is necessary. Some email programs block these type of email messages, or automatically move them into a "Junk" folder, so you may not realize that you have been sent an invitiation. In that case you would have to request another subscription, or dig the old one out of "Junk" folder. Lately this group has not been very busy, but you never know! We may modernize the name to include all Trippers. To have a subscription request sent to you please send an email to hiayhxmasride48-subscribe@yahoogroups.com. Christmas Trip traditions from the 80's, 90's and 00's These traditions evolve over time, and sometimes are rescheduled, shuffled or merely forgotten. Hot Seat - Usually happens the first night of the Trip. Everyone takes their turn and tells a little about themselves. Where you are from, what you do in real life, how many previous Christmas Trips you've done. Remember this is all in fun and is to break the ice and let everyone know who is on the Trip. The audience may then ask you questions. The most common question is "Do you have a date for New Year's?" This is shorthand for "Are you available?" This is not asked of everyone. After the Tripper's time on the Hot Seat has ended, they collect the Trip T-shirt and the next person is called onto the Hot Seat. Tire Changing Contest - This usually happens on the second night, for many Trips in the Warner Springs Middle School Cafeteria. Contestants take turns taking off a tire, changing the tube, replacing the tire and putting 10 strokes of air into the tube. The all-time men's champion is Greg Zackowski, who has won the men's division of the contest every year since its inception (?). If you are planning to usurp Greg's title, start practicing, because Greg's record is 47 seconds. One of Greg's tactics is to wait until the end of the contest, by which time the tire has loosened and is more easily removed from the wheel. Ugly Cycling Outfit Contest - Held a few times in the Palm Desert stop on the morning of the fourth day. Although it shows up on the trip notes every year, it really isn't held anymore. Tony Olsen viewed this contest as his time to shine, and often did so in hideously garish cycling outfits. Awards Night (now the T-shirt Exchange) - This event has its beginnings with a certain camper in 1987 who managed to get into the Sag Wagon for a portion of each of the first five days of the Trip. This in itself wouldn't be notable, except that he always managed to talk a good game, as if he was in great cycling shape and this Trip wasn't really all that hard. He took a lot of grief about this, and for the last night of the Trip (at the San Clemente AYH Hostel), several of the younger trippers got a white T-shirt, wrote "Captain Sag" on it and presented it to him. They also presented pieces of chocolate broken from a novelty item bought at a nearby Adult Store to several of the other Trippers. The top prize went to Pete Penseyres for wearing a heart rate monitor during the Trip. Mr. Penseyres was a well-known ultra rider (and two-time winner of RAAM) and the other racers thought that the monitor (which was a rarity at that time) was more than a bit over the top. Giving a few awards to individuals quickly morphed into an Awards Night presentation where everyone received an award of some sort. From cycling-specific "Best female hammer", "King of the Mountains", "Nicest Bike", "Get a New Bike" to the less appropriate "Ding-a-Ling Lady", "Most Enamored of His Own Banana", "Mother Hen", etc., these awards were determined by "The Committee", a group of multi-trippers who gathered the funniest anecdotes and twisted them into some type of award. For several years the awards were written out with calligraphy or by computer. But eventually the work to make the Awards funny and appropriate became too much and the Committee passed into history, with the main Committee members going back to playing Hearts or demonstrating their yo-yo skills (I kid you not). The present T-shirt exchange is started after dinner on the final night by one of the Trippers who normally make the daily announcements (like Ralph Elliott), who explains the process and starts off the night by giving another Tripper some sort of accolade/award/title. Then the named Tripper goes up to the front of the room (in a sort of reprise of the Hot Seat) and gives another award to a third Tripper, etc., until everyone present has received some recognition for their efforts. After giving an award, the presenter then takes a T-shirt from all the T-shirts that have been collected from the Trippers during the Trip for this purpose. Although it is ideal if no Tripper is acknowledged twice before everyone else has already taken their turn, a few people do manage multiple appearances for whatever reasons. Of course, the support staff gets their share of appreciation as well, as their efforts to load/unload and drive the baggage truck, run the Sag Wagon, and buy food along the way do not go unnoticed. Stop at Vaughn's Market in Oceanside - This would happen on either the first day or last day of the Trip, depending on when the route went through Oceanside. Ever since the route became, more or less, etched into stone, that day would be on Day Six, after leaving Fallbrook and getting to within sight of the Pacific Ocean. The location of Vaughn's was key to the stop, and the variety of snacks and refreshments were second to none. However, times change, and business at the store dropped off. The store hosted the Day Six visit for the last time in 2004(?) before closing (Have to check that with Ralph Elliott). Christmas Trip sayings "Save the Cups!" - In past years the AYH supplied cups for use by the Trippers for breakfast and dinner. By the late 80's they were buying 200 styrofoam cups a day, or 1000 for the entire trip. In 1988 Mrs. Elliott started the slogan "Save the Cups!" to reduce the amount of waste. On the Group Photo morning at Trinity Lutheran in Hemet, Tony Olsen dressed in a lime green skinsuit and attached cups all over himself, running in front of the group shouting "Save the Cups!" Several other Trippers then attacked and subdued the "Cup Monster". Nowadays all Trippers are expected to bring their own reusable cup, as well as utensils. "Why do we stop here? - Because we always stop here!" - This is a nod to the multi-Trippers and locals who cycle the Trip route enough to know where the best places to fuel up are. When you know that there aren't any good stopping points for the next twenty miles, you tell the other trippers and everyone benefits. Also had the effect of stopping at the same Del Taco in Murrieta on Day 5. But time marches on, and since the Day 5 route was changed in 2012, that Del Taco is now no longer patronized every December 30th. "Essence" - This is Ralph Elliott's term that sums up the atmosphere, camaraderie, ambience and hard work that goes into each Tripper's memories and signifies the feeling of being on the Christmas Trip. Essence is enhanced by such things as cycling in a raging hailstorm on Mount Laguna, barely staying upright on the I-10 frontage road going into a 30 mph crosswind, and fording through the stream crossings in De Luz Canyon. "Nobody Loses Weight on the Christmas Trip" - Occasionally people announce on the Hot Seat on Day 1 that one of their goals is to lose some weight on the trip. Due to the plentiful (and usually tasty) food on the trip, other trippers are quick to point out that nobody loses weight on the Christmas Trip. Christmas Trip cyclists The Elliotts - Alliene Elliott was the Executive Director of the San Diego American Youth Hostels (AYH) and led the Christmas Trip for 20 years. Mrs. Elliott cycled the Trip before becoming the Trip Leader. Her husband Clark also was a Tripper, as well as sons Ralph and Glenn. Ralph Elliott himself was an ironman of the Trip, taking part in more than 40 Trips and cycling with the racers (he was a bicycle racer in his early years). Ralph also made movies of the Christmas Trips, his narration of the films provided many evenings of entertainment during the past 30 years. Without the Elliotts the Christmas Trip might well have faded away before becoming an institution in San Diego. Mrs. Elliott died in 2008, here is a link about her life and the AYH . Pete Penseyres - Pete did the Christmas trip several times after winning RAAM in 1984 and 1986. If there is an article about you in Wikipedia, chances are you are rather famous in the cycling world. This short bio tells you a little more about Pete and Rob Templin. Rob Templin - Rob tandemed with Pete Penseyres and another tandem team to cross America in 10 days and 21 hours in 1973. He attempted RAAM four times in the 80's. Peter Kendal - His Christmas Trip streak started with the 2nd Trip, even doing the trip as a break from Army Basic Training in 1964. He was in West Germany in 1965, but then returned to San Diego and was a stalwart Tripper well into the 2000's. Pete ran the AYH Bicycle Shop in San Diego for years, and has said that he was instrumental in expanding the ride to six days. Pete was a fan of a no-frills Christmas Trip (no sag, no support, get your own meals), and he led several of these alternative outings in the 2000's. Which Trip is this? The first Christmas Trip got rolling in 1956 (although there was a ride in 1955 on which the Trip was modeled after), and has occurred every year since. Simple arithmetic would indicate that the 2016 Christmas Trip would be the 61st edition. However the 2016 trip is referred to as the 60th Annual Christmas Trip. Why is this? The Origin of Confusion as to "Which Trip is this?" This disagreement in the number of Christmas Trips stems from the late 1980's, and shows that the count was lost in 1987-88. 1986 (31st Trip) - The Christmas Trip itinerary calls the Trip the "31st Annual AYH Christmas Trip". This is in line with the start of the Trip being in 1956, when it was first called the "Christmas Trip". 1987 (32nd Trip) - There are no references to a Trip number in the 1987 materials examined. 1988 (33rd Trip) - In 1988, in two separate American Youth Hostel (AYH) San Diego Council newsletters there is a note "See you on the 31st Annual AYH Christmas Bike Trip". In the recap of the 1988 Trip, the Trip Leader writes that this was "about the 32nd I think". 1989 (34th Trip) (HI-AYH 33rd) - The 1989 Trip was clearly called the "33rd Annual AYH Christmas Bike Trip", and that chronology was carried forward. Annual vs. Anniversary 2006 (51st Trip) (HI-AYH 50th) - In early 2006 Hosteling International-San Diego (the successor organization to the AYH) realized that the "49th" Christmas Trip that had just taken place was actually the 50th actual Christmas Trip. They wanted to have a 50th celebration of the trip, and so to keep the numbers ascending properly they decided that the actual 51st trip would become the "50th Anniversary" of the First Christmas Trip. This is entirely correct. 2007 (52nd Trip) (HI-AYH 51st) - However, the following year (2007) the ride was called the 51st Annual Christmas Trip, reverting back to the Trips being off by one in the chronology, and this pattern has held since then. Not-so-greatest days on the Christmas Trip Some of the days on the Christmas Trip in the last 30 years when the going got pretty tough even for the hardened Tripper. Arranged chronologically. 1987 Day 2 - Left Fallbrook for Julian. The weather was good, the route was only 60 miles, but it was a Sunday and there was very little food on the way. Even Dudley's at Santa Ysabel was closed. Many Trippers bonked on the last five-mile uphill. Probably the only time that this author heard Mrs. Elliott apologize to the Trippers for there not being any food along the way (in years past when there wasn't lunch available the AYH Sag Wagon would stop along the route and have something available for the trippers). 1988 Day 2 - Left Campo late because the cleanup wasn't done on time. At this time one of the Christmas Trip rules was "Nobody leaves until we all leave". So everyone waited until the cleanup was done, and the normal 9 am departure was delayed until 10 am. Oh yes, the ride that day was to Borrego Springs, 113 miles. Riding conditions to Borrego Springs weren't bad, although most of the route was through desert, and most trippers ran out of daylight, and then the Trippers was split between a Church and a Youth Center, you had to find them in the dark, on a moonless night. No streetlights to guide you either! Dinner was at the Church for everyone. Breakfast the next day was at the Youth Center. 1990 Day 4 - Leaving Cathedral City south to Salton City was great, with a tailwind going south, a great start to a 116-mile day. Then on the right turn to Borrego Springs the tailwind became a headwind. It was a Saturday and everything was closed in Borrego, and then you had to climb Banner Grade to Julian. On the way up it got colder, then it started raining. Once in Julian the route took you back onto Route 79 and went downhill for a little bit, then turned off onto a side road, to get to Camp Marston in the dark, and no streetlights. 1992 Day 4 - Palm Desert to Warner Springs (first time staying at the Warner Springs Middle School). You could either go the 100-mile route to Salton City, then Borrego Springs, up Montezuma Grade to Ranchita, then to Warner Springs, and get rained on the latter half of the ride. Or you could take the 60-mile shortcut, climb Seven-Level Hill and get rained on all the way from Anza to Warner Springs. Either way, you got cold and soaked. 2002 Day 4 - Strongest headwinds anyone could remember once the route left Palm Springs. Mei (a slim Chinese lady) was blown off her bike several times. 2005 Day 3 - Constantly rainy, cold and of course windy day from Warner Springs to Palm Desert. Most of the trippers sagged at some point on this 100-mile day. These conditions reportedly were repeated on 2012 Day 3, and with the same result. 2005 Day 6 - Leaving Fallbrook under threatening skies and going south into a brisk headwind. It started to drizzle, then rain, then hard rain. A very wet and miserable way to end the Christmas Trip! 2006 Day 2 - Started hailing on the way down Mt. Laguna. There was a vicious cross-wind at the same time, and the hail was sticking to the road. Mostly drizzles by the time the riders reached Julian, and then all the way to Warner Springs. Demographic changes for Trippers Juniors - In the United States Cycling Federation (USCF), Juniors are from 14 to 17 years or age. For years a group of Juniors (up to 30) went on the Christmas Trip, led by adult Tripper Howard Dorflinger. Many of the unique characters, stories and traditions on the Christmas Trip are a result of the antics of the Juniors. How times change - In 2007, the youngest person on the Trip was 22. List of items to take on the Trip HI-AYH used to send out a very detailed list with the post-registration packet that was mailed to each Tripper, but a few years ago they started including only an abbreviated list of items. An attempt at reconstructing the original list (with some enhancements and editorial comments) was made and is posted here. The abbreviated version follows: Your bicycle in very good condition! Pump, tires & tubes, patch kit and tire irons - Practice changing tires and adjusting brakes, cables, seats, etc. Take a few more than you think you'll need. Water bottles (at least two) Lock for your bike Fanny pack or a small backpack to carry extra jacket, socks, wallet etc. Shorty fenders in case it rains Clip-on bicycle lights, especially if you know you are going to be riding in the dark. Your Helmet!!! Suggested items (you never know!) - Extra spokes, rear brake and derailleur cables, chain tool, lubricant, 10-12 inches of PVC tape wrapped around something and wire rolled with the tape or spokes for repairs. Also a set of hex wrenches so you can make on-the-road adjustments on your brakes, pedals, derailleurs, stem bolt and seat post binder bolt. ID and money for lunches and snacks each day, sunglasses, lipbalm Medical information - including your In Case Of Accident info if under 18 years of age. Map and itinerary. If you are not sure of finding your own way you might need maps of San Diego, Imperial and Riverside counties. Cell Phone and Trip Leader contact information GORP - Gu or other emergency energy supply Training - It's always a good idea to hit a few hills and do two or three consecutive days of at least 50 miles a day within a week or so before the Christmas Trip Duffle bag or soft suitcase to pack/unpack your stuff every day Spare cycling clothes (in case of rain) and your extra clothes for the evening. It's not generally a good idea to wear the same items every day for six days, at least that's what other people tell me. Bring what you normally wear cycling BUT remember: it may rain, it may snow, it may be hot and it may be windy. It may also be perfectly beautiful! Remember short and long pants, long sleeved shirt and short sleeved shirt Cycling gloves (more than one pair) extra gloves for cold/wet weather Once again - Your Helmet!!! Rain gear Your sleeping bag and air mattress or foam pad Do Not Forget (Because people do!) Jeans - sweater- shirt- jacket - shoes - socks - underwear - towel - toothbrush - toothpaste - comb or brush - soap - sunscreen - swim suit - warmups Because HI-USA does not supply them you MUST BRING utensils for yourself (Camping utensils work fine) and a cup for yourself Extra items you may find necessary - Camera, reading material, cards, yo-yo Weather to expect The bottom line is to expect anything! The Christmas Trip has seen it all. Although the usual day is in the 50's and clear, the Trip has seen Santa Ana winds, drizzle, winter storms, snowy roads, icy roads, you name it. It is advisable to have some sort of bicycle fenders with you. Remember to pack your cold weather cycling clothing along with your rain gear. You can also experience several season's worth of weather in one day, so don't be surprised when Cycling conditions/terrain 100% of the official route of the Christmas Trip is on paved roads. The absence of snow or ice on these roads is not guaranteed, especially at elevations of 3000 feet and over. There have been instances of "black ice", which is melted and refrozen water on roads that is extremely difficult to cycle on. Your best bet is to coast (if you're brave) or walk your bike over any "black ice" you may come across. Be aware that "black ice" is just as dangerous for cars as well. Snow is another visitor to roads on the Christmas Trip. Sometimes not only is the road up Mt. Laguna (S1 aka Sunrise Highway) snow covered, but the alternate road (SR-79) through Cuyamaca can also be snowed over. Needless to say, it can be difficult cycling. Sudden turns, even the shifting of your weight back and forth can be enough to cause your tires to lose traction. It is always a good idea to pedal in a straight line. Look at your tire tracks sometimes and see if they are constantly crossing and re-crossing each other while you pedal. That is an indicator that you are putting side pressure on your frame while pedaling which causes the bike to rock back and forth. To counteract this, try to keep your back and hips steady while you pedal. You will be able to hold a line better and give your bike more stability while cycling up the odd mountain or two in the rain/snow/hail that you will eventually run into. Please note that if you do any side trips, there is a real possibility that you will get lost. Imagine being on the Christmas Trip without cellphones and GPS! If you are decided upon an alternate route, let the Trip Leader know about it, and please don't expect sag service when you're 40 miles off the route. About this wiki The Christmas Trip is an extraordinary and long-lived event, as you can tell by reading the anecdotes and looking at the linked webpages and blogs. This author was fortunate to move to San Diego in 1986 and ride on the Christmas Trip from 1986 thru 2006 (missing once). I was always fascinated by the traditions and history of the trip, and resolved in 2007 to put together something that would inform and preserve the outlines of this unique event for anyone thinking of joining us for the week between Christmas and New Year's. If you are a cyclist, believe me, You. Will. Love. This. Trip. I can't fully describe the personalities, memories, the fun, or even the melancholy aspects of the Trip. I've settled for presenting as much as possible of an itinerary for each trip, the route, overnight locations, Trip logos, etc. I've just about exhausted my personal materials, and I've scoured the web with the help of the Internet Wayback Machine to fill in most everything from 2003 on. I was able to go through the AYH scrapbook, which had unique information on the Trips up through 1961. There's a bit more in there that I'd like to get in this wiki, and also through discussions with the longest-time Trippers like Ralph Elliott and Peter Kendal. Ralph made Super-8 movies of many of the early trips, you can see Part 1 of the 4-part 1986 Trip movie here. I understand more of his Christmas Trip movies will make their way into the digital realm in the future. If you have information on Trips (especially the early trips up to 2003) please email me and I will be happy to add your information to the wiki. I know how tough it is to remember which Trip is which, when did Tony Olsen chug a 2-liter bottle of Mountain Dew at Fallbrook, when did the Juniors decide to do dinner and we ended up with the first Make-your-own-Burrito dinner, those are what gives the Trip "Essence". If you have a few items for a time you remember, send me a short write-up and I'll plug it into the proper Trip. So if you know the answer to the many (?) I've used throughout this wiki, please, help me correct the record!